Baby Girl
by marylwhit
Summary: JJ and Spencer try to find the perfect name for their daughter, and Spencer struggles with the new arrival.


_Hi! To those who are reading 'The Little Prince', I have been really busy with assignments and haven't had time to update. A new chapter should be up by Thursday at the latest :) This is something I wrote from the prompt "Baby Girl", I thought I'd go in a different direction from Morgan/Garcia. Hope you enjoy!_

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JJ lay in bed, her back against the pillows, and propped up against the headboard. She watched Spencer rest on the cradle across the room from her, smiling down at his daughter with nothing but love.

"Can I pick her up?" He asked softly, and JJ couldn't help but laugh.

"She's yours too, Spence." She said with a smile, "Yes. You can pick her up."

"I know she's mine." He replied, not looking away from the baby. "But you already did this with Henry. I don't know if she wants to be disturbed, and I don't want to upset her."

"You won't, Sweetie." JJ encouraged, getting out of bed and making her way over to her boyfriend. She took Spencer's hand and placed one under the yet-to-be-named-baby-girl's head and the other on her back. Spencer very gently, and very delicately carried the child to the bed and put her down at the centre as if one wrong move would shatter her into a million pieces.

JJ slid back into the bed and watched Spencer awkwardly try to reposition the newborn on the bed so he could get in beside her.

"She's not going to bite you." JJ joked. Spencer sighed, flapping his arms and still staring at the child.

"She's too little and I don't want to hurt her!" He moaned. "I'm hardly the most coordinated person about."

JJ lifted the baby up with ease, holding her close to her body. Spencer looked at her sadly. He was having a hard time with the baby. He didn't trust himself, and insisted he was far too clumsy to so much as carry her around in her car seat. He'd read all the child-rearing books he could get his hands on, he'd even read the pregnancy and birthing ones. He'd sourced the best bottles and blankets and cribs and diapers, and he felt prepared right up until JJ went into labor. Then the screaming started, and the doctor announced he had a new daughter, and suddenly there was a baby in his arms, and he wasn't able to calm her. Since they had brought her home, JJ had watched Spencer try everything - wrap her tightly, rock her, cuddle her close, jiggle her about, sing to her - but nothing ever worked for him, and she was always forced to take control and comfort the baby herself.

"Here, lay down." JJ ordered, patting the bed with one hand while supporting the baby with the other. Spencer wriggled in and JJ kissed her daughter's forehead before placing her tiny body on Spencer's chest. She guided one of his hands under the baby's bottom and the other against the back of her neck. Spencer looked nervous, but smiled when he looked down at the baby. He was having trouble bonding with Baby Girl. He was a first time parent after all, and adequately terrified. But the love was there and that was all that mattered. He would eventually pick up the rest.

"Spencer," JJ said seriously. "You're not going to hurt her, really."

Spencer nodded slightly, beginning to stroke the girl's hair with his pointer finger. She was only two weeks old, but had been born with so much brown hair. They knew she'd lose it all eventually, but Garcia had made so many brightly colored clip on bows that they hoped it would stay for a while so she could wear them all.

JJ lay down next to Spencer and let the baby take her finger. She listened to Spencer talk to the baby in a hushed voice and kiss the baby's head a few times. He chuckled when the baby smiled and made a noise.

"See, " JJ pushed. "She's smiling at Daddy, she knows you wont hurt her."

Spencer nodded softly.

"She has my coloring." He said after a while. "Her hair and her eyes. But she looks more like you, I think."

JJ nodded sleepily. "She has my nose, but she has your chin, look at that little dimple when she smiles."

Spencer's smile widened, and JJ took one of his hands and encouraged the baby to grip on to his finger instead.

"What are we going to name her?" He asked, "I don't think any of the names we chose seem right."

"We have to call her something, she can't be Baby Girl forever. I think Garcia wants her nickname back."

They sat in silence for a long time, admiring their daughter. Three years ago, neither could have predicted they'd eventually end up together. That a particularly rough case, a girlfriends death and a husbands betrayal would lead them to a hotel room on the outskirts of the city. Even at that point, they'd never thought anything would come of it. They'd never thought they'd be sneaking around behind Hotch's back, or driving out of town just to have dinner together. They'd never thought they'd have a child. But JJ believed everything happened for a reason, that their suffering hadn't been in vain, it had brought them together. Spencer didn't know what he believed in, but he knew he loved JJ, and that a part of him always had.

"I like Juliet." Spencer said. "But I don't think it suits her."

JJ nodded. "I don't like Charlotte for her either."

JJ paused for a moment, wondering if she should ask what she'd been wanting to ever since they started discussing names. "Spence," She started. "We could name her after your mom?"

Diana had passed away just before JJ had found out she was pregnant. She had suffered an aneurysm, and died almost instantly. Spencer had taken it hard, wishing he had made more of an effort to see her, and that she'd lived long enough for him to tell her about his baby. To show her he was happy. The whole event had brought up painful memories of Maeve that Spencer wanted to forget, and worked to resurrect his fears about schizophrenia, and the possibility he would pass it on to his child.

"Maybe as a middle name." Spencer said flatly, JJ reached over to smooth his hair affectionately and snuggled up to his arm.

"She needs a name." Spencer said, and they both continued to stare at the child, each trying to come up with something that sounded _right_.

After some time, JJ sat up and reached for the name book on the night stand.

"What are you doing?" Spencer asked, as JJ closed her eyes and flipped to a random page.

"I'm going to let Baby Girl decide." She said. "Stella?"

The baby didn't give any sign she was listening, and continued to clench and unclench her tiny fist around Spencer's finger.

"Molly?"

Spencer screwed his face up and shook his head, at JJ and reached over to turn the page.

"Abigail?"

The baby continued to ignore her as she read name after name.

"Chloe?"

A last the baby gurgled and JJ smiled.

"JJ," Spencer said with a smile, "She doesn't understand you. That was purely coincidental."

"Chloe?" JJ called again, and again the baby gurgled. But when she tried Sarah or Lisa or Grace, the baby made no sound. It was settled.

"While I don't think she understands any of this, I do like the name." Spencer said.

"Welcome to the world, Chloe Diana Reid." JJ said to her daughter. Spencer looked to her quizzically.

"Reid?" Spencer inquired. "We're not married"

"Of course _Reid_." JJ exclaimed, resting on her elbow and staring at Spencer. "I told you, she's yours. And it's tradition. Besides, then we wont have to change it when you finally decided to marry me." She bend down and kissed him, making sure to avoid tiny Chloe on still resting on his chest.

Spencer lifted Chloe and set her down between them. For the first time, it wasn't awkward and he wasn't nervous.

"What do you think about Mommy and Daddy getting married?" JJ asked the baby.

Chloe looked up at her parents and squealed.

"I think she likes the idea," Spencer said with a laugh, "and I think I do to."


End file.
